Hardwood Pellet Blends vs. Flavored Pellets for Pellet Grills - What to Look For

What Types of Wood Pellets are the Best for Your Pellet Grill?

Food grade barbecue wood pellets come in many different "flavors" based on either the actual hardwoods they are made from, or artificial flavors, which are frequently added by many manufacturers. The most common flavored pellets are mesquite, hickory, applewood, cherry, pecan. Which type of pellets should you buy? 

The best option is to always choose barbecue wood pellets made from natural woods, with no artificial flavors added. 

The problem for consumers is that, because BBQ wood pellets are not regulated, the label may not accurately represent what you are buying. For example, most wood pellets classified as "Mesquite," are usually made up of more available woods such as oak or gum tree. Flavoring oils are then added into the conditioning chamber of the pellet mill, which infuses artificial flavors into the pellets. So, when you open a bag of pellets with a Mesquite label, they may smell like mesquite, but most likely will not contain 100% mesquite.

What Types of Wood Pellets are the Best for Your Pellet Grill?

The most important question you should ask when selecting wood pellets is, "What raw material is the manufacturer using"? If pellets are made from natural, green hardwood wood chips (oak, maple, hickory), you are likely to get better flavor. Generally, most hardwood pellets are a blend.

Manchester Barbecue Pellets are 100% natural, made with only fresh, green wood chips, direct from our forestry partners. We minimally process our pellets, to make sure that you are getting natural smoke flavor.

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